This blog is really just to amuse myself and maybe my friends...and any strangers who happen upon it by accident...

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Buttercup Squash Anyone?

If you are like me, you had never heard of Buttercup Squash before. You've probably heard of Butternut....but this is different. I got these seeds from my sister, who had gotten them from a family friend during Feast. I honestly can't remember which little Ziploc bag they came from--the one labeled Butternut Squash or the one labeled Acorn squash. Whichever one it was, it was apparently mislabeled.

So when the squash started growing and it didn't look like it was supposed to, it was kind of fun to try and figure out what I had. After much investigating and countless Google searches, I came upon Buttercup Squash.

Now that fall is here and the frost will be coming soon, I decided it was time to harvest the squash and try it out. Again, I wasn't sure what I should be doing so I did another Google search and found a simple way to cook & serve it. Here's what I did:

This is the squash--dark green & light green rind, pumpkin-shaped but smaller.

The Buttercup Squash often has a light silvery-green disk of rind on the blossom end. (I cut it before I thought of showing you this side of it, so I had to hold it back together to get the picture).

Cut the squash open lengthwise, through the stem. Beautiful orange flesh inside!

Scoop out the seeds & stringy "guts", just like you do when you're getting ready to carve a pumpkin, being careful to leave plenty of the edible flesh intact.

I cleaned off the seeds and set them out on waxed paper to dry out, since a few of my friends have expressed interest in having some of these seeds. (You know who you are!)

Pour about half a cup of water into a pan or casserole dish that has sides and put the squash halves in, cut side down. Cook for about 30 - 45 minutes (or until flesh is tender) at 375 degrees.

Notice how the rind darkens and becomes shiny after cooking...

The flesh is tender and moist after being cooked with the water, basically steaming it.

Scoop out the flesh, being careful not to go too deep & get the green rind.

For some great flavor, add some butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to taste.

(Sorry about the sideways picture. Not sure why it won't post right side up when I saved it that way).

Stir it all in and enjoy! I get a little exuberant with my stirring so my bowl is pretty messy. The taste is definitely like a squash, but mild and a little nutty. Similar to a sweet potato, but a little less sweet.

This is just one way to serve it, but it is delicious. Does anyone out there have any other suggestions for ways to cook and serve a Buttercup Squash?

Thanks for sharing this recipe. I realize this is a fairly old post, but I was simply searching for a recipe to cook a buttercup squash that a friend gave me last fall. It has stored awesomely well in my pantry till now. Thanks again. It sounds yummy and I'm trying it tonight!

Who the heck is Jane?

I was originally born and raised in Southern California near the beach. I later moved to Ventura County before eventually making the big move out to Idaho.
I am currently living in Caldwell Idaho, embarking out on a new adventure on my own. I like to think I'm a gardener and more recently I've decided to get serious again about photography.
This is my life....